Trump says no survivors after plane-helicopter collision outside US capital

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump said Thursday that no one survived after a commercial plane carrying 64 people crashed with a military helicopter outside of the nation's capital, Washington DC.

Trump said officials do not yet know what led to the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport, but said, "we have some very strong opinions and ideas."

"We think we have some pretty good ideas, but we'll find out how this disaster occurred, and we'll ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. The FAA and the NTSB and the US military will be carrying out a systematic and comprehensive investigation," he said.

Trump appeared to place blame on the crew of the military helicopter, saying, "You had a pilot problem from the standpoint of the helicopter."

"It was very clear night, it was cold, but clear and clear as you could be the American Airlines plane had lights blazing, they had all their landing lights on," he said. "You had a helicopter that had the ability to stop, I have helicopters. You can stop a helicopter very quickly. It had the ability to go up or down and had the ability to turn. And the turn it made was not the correct turn, obviously. And it did, somewhat, the opposite of what it was told."